February 3, 2012
This week’s news regarding the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Planned Parenthood sent shock waves around the world. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, this has been an important lesson in the power of social media and individuals to affect a decision.
This has affected me, and many of my friends and colleagues, in a variety of ways:
- As a communications professional I have read many posts analyzing the communication strategies of both organizations. There will undoubtedly be many more.
- The situation also puts the spotlight on the research smart corporations should complete before selecting community partners.
- As an individual, there are also obvious implications for personal funding choices.
The need for this research doesn’t change because the issue changes. Research and a strategic focus should always be part of a giving strategy.
I don’t want to get into who’s right and who’s wrong here but instead provide a guide to choosing nonprofits you support – as an individual or as a corporation. If we haven’t seen anything else this week, we’ve certainly seen the power social media has in swaying public opinion.
I’m sure you’d agree you want to know where your hard-earned dollars are going. It’s not that time consuming to make sure the vast majority of your check will go to direct services. Merriam Webster defines these as:
“active service on cases and work with patients as distinguished from staff functions”
While I understand completely the need for administrative costs, it’s important to understand the details behind those numbers. Here’s a portion of my post from January 20, 2010 detailing the research you can do before writing that check:
In talking with my children about the importance of giving and the school’s drive, we’ve also had to teach them a bit about what unfortunately might be called the seamier side of fundraising. As we saw after 9/11 and the 2005 tsunami, there are unscrupulous fundraisers who are more than happy to take your hard-earned dollars. It’s important to take a few minutes to make sure your money goes where you want it to go. Make sure you give to organizations you trust, or that your friends trust.
Guidestar and Charity Navigator both offer services that help you learn about nonprofits. United Way of America is another organization that thoroughly screens their partners before providing them funds. And, of course, there are any number of blogs and experts out there to tell you what to do as well. One of my favorite public relations people, Shonali Burke, offered her thoughts about the aftershocks on fundraising.
If you have the time, an organization’s IRS Form 990 is a great source of information. Pay close attention to the percentages of funds that go to “program services” as compared to administrative costs. Program services funds are actually getting to those the organization helps while administrative costs are generally overhead. Personally, organizations I like to support keep their overhead to no more than 10% of expenses.
June 18, 2011
If We Don’t Help, Who Will…If Not Now, When
Sunday is my birthday and I have a special request for you. 
Most of us lead a really comfortable life. We have a roof over our heads, cars in the garage and some source of income. Realizing many have faced job loss in the last year or so, we’re still doing pretty well. We have family and friends supporting us. And, even though we might not agree all the time, we have a government supporting us with programs that keep us safe and well.
Sometimes we need to first give thanks for what we have before we can help others. Today, I’m asking you to do just that.
- It’s hard to imagine being forced from our homes because of bad government. But 43 million people around the world are not in their homeland because of corrupt governments.
- It’s hard to imagine our children might have a better life if we send them away. However, around the world, more than 17 million children are separated from their parents because their families thought it would give them the best chance at a better life.
UNHCR, or the UN Refugee Agency, cares for 26 million people each year who are displaced because of strife in their country. Close to half are under the age of 18. In the past nine years five million people have returned to Afghanistan because of assistance from the UN Refugee program.
The UNHCR first helps individuals with basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter. But their goal is to find places where the refugees can build a productive life and become an asset to society. There are more than 6,000 staff helping refugees in 128 countries. And a large number of refugees who are resettled come to the US so their prosperity does become our concern one way or another.
Here’s what I need you to do:
- Donate at least $5 today to the UN Refugee program to help refugees. Get your own $5 Blue Key today – it will go a long way in showing USA for UNHCR, which started the Blue Key campaign, that you care about refugees and the work UNHCR is doing to help them .
- Obviously, if you can give more, or buy extra keys, it will definitely not be wasted. There is much to do. Just skip your afternoon latte. You probably won’t even notice you missed it but the refugees in other countries will be grateful for the help. I bought ten keys this week meaning a family received a shelter kit so they have a roof over their heads.
The staff at the UN Refugee Agency are already doing the work as they been for 60 years. They just need your monetary support so they can keep saving lives and helping refugees around the world.
Together we can make a difference. Together we can affect positive change. Together we can…do just about anything we want to do.
Please help. Today.
Thank you for granting my birthday wish.
Photo: UN Refugee Agency
December 3, 2010
This is truly a season for giving and lots of us have plenty for which to give thanks. In Anchorage, as in many communities, there are homeless families facing our cold winters without knowing how to pay for food, shelter and other necessities.
Today’s Groupon offers a way you can quickly help a family out. Sign up for the Groupon and get three meals for a family of six for only $40 from Alaska Dinner Factory. It’s quick and easy. Then, give the coupon to a family in need by emailing it to Jenni Ragland at the Salvation Army Alaska. Please help by following these easy steps:
1: Purchase the Groupon
2. Click the box to give it as a gift to “a family in need.” Email it to Jenni at the Salvation Army Alaska (jenni.ragland@usw.salvationarmy.org)
3. Now give yourself a hug.
4. Finally, tell your friends how they can help too.
It’s so easy to help others and it makes you feel good too. Thanks so much! Happy Holidays.
January 20, 2010
Today’s fundraising has come a long way from yesterday’s penny drives.
Like many of you, I am shocked by the devastation in Haiti. The people there have struggled so long and worked to improve their lives and now are faced with starting over again as the result of Mother Nature’s 7.0 strike. It seems unimaginable but we all see the pictures and hear the stories throughout the day.
I am also struck by the generosity of individual people and governments around the world to give of their time, their talents and their money to help the people of Haiti. Earlier today, Geoff Livingston wrote about five social media lessons learned from the quake and they really show how far we’ve come in the past 5-10 years.
Social media tools and the news media have quickly become carriers of messages from those in need as well as ways to give money. Cell phone carriers are passing through donations based on text messaging raising more than $20 million at last report. It’s incredible to watch and is certainly a long way from the penny drives we had when I was in grade school.
Since my children (14 and 17) were born, they’ve learned the importance of giving to others in need. I am really gratified they have been listening to their parents. Together, they have given more than $100 of their own money to the Haitian fund drive at their high school. Mind you there’s an incentive for the class that raises the most money but still, $100 from a child’s pocket is a lot of cash. One class raised more than $500 today, all part of a Model UN project at the school, the result of these children seeing a real need and having the desire to participate.
In talking with my children about the importance of giving and the school’s drive, we’ve also had to teach them a bit about what unfortunately might be called the seamier side of fundraising. As we saw after 9/11 and the 2005 tsunami, there are unscrupulous fundraisers who are more than happy to take your hard-earned dollars. It’s important to take a few minutes to make sure your money goes where you want it to go. Make sure you give to organizations you trust, or that your friends trust.
Guidestar and Charity Navigator both offer services that help you learn about nonprofits. United Way of America is another organization that thoroughly screens their partners before providing them funds. And, of course, there are any number of blogs and experts out there to tell you what to do as well. One of my favorite public relations people, Shonali Burke, offered her thoughts about the aftershocks on fundraising.
If you have the time, an organization’s IRS Form 990 is a great source of information. Pay close attention to the percentages of funds that go to “program services” as compared to administrative costs. Program services funds are actually getting to those the organization helps while administrative costs are generally overhead. Personally, organizations I like to support keep their overhead to no more than 10% of expenses.
In the end, what’s most important is that we help the people of Haiti recover from this crisis and give generously. We most certainly know that they need it more than we do.
Photo credit: r-z
